Collapsible bar or the like



Filed Jul 26, 1944 W m3 m n F 1 m Patented Nov. 26, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE BAR, OR THE LIKE John A. English, Trenton; N. J.

Application July .26, 1944, Serial No. 546,695 (01. 312-1402) 3 Claims. 1

My invention relates to portablebars, counters, stands, booths and the like and particularly to constructions of this character which are sturdy and attractive in appearance, but capable of being folded or collapsed into a small compact form for storage and transportation.

Light wei ht and inexpensive portable bars are frequently used in homes, clubs and hotels and similar constructions are often used as counters when constructed so as to be collapsible, they have not been sturdy when erected and when disassembled they have been bulky and cumbersome to store and transport.

In accordance with my invention these objections to constructions of the prior art are overcome by providing a bar, counter, stand or the like which embodies a top or counter member together with vertical supporting members having cooperating parts formed to engage and hold the elements firmly in either erected position for use or in collapsed position for storage or transportation.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel form of collapsible bar, counter, stand or the like which is economical to produce and easy to erect and disassemble.

Another object of my invention is to provide a collapsible bar or stand embodying means for holding the elements in predetermined erected and collapsed positions,

A further object of my invention is to provide a collapsible bar or thelike which when in erected position is sturdy in construction but is capable of being collapsed or folded into a small compact I space for storage or transportation,

These and other objects and features of my invention will appear: from the following description thereof in which reference is made to the figures of the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. I is a perspective of a typical construction embodying my invention with a part thereof broken away.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the top or counter member of the combination in an inverted position for receiving the folded panels of the construction.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the construction illustrated in Fig. 1- when packed for storage, and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through a portion of the collapsed construction illustrated in Fig. 4. t

In that form of my invention chosen for purposes of illustration and shown in the figures of the drawing the bar or stand comprises vertical- 1y positioned panels which extend about three sides of the bar and are hingedly connected together so as to be movable into the erected positions shown in Fig. 1 or into the folded position illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. This construction embodies panels 2, 4, 6 and 8 whichare connected along their vertical edges by suitable means such as the hinges ill, although it will be apparent that the panels may have any suitable form of interconnecting parts or elements sothat they may be held-togetherwhen erected and arranged to form the front and sides of the bar. As illustrated, each of the panels is substantially twice as high as it is wide so that the front of the bar is made up of the two panels 4' and '6 while the sides of the bar are formed by the panels 2 and8. The panels are held in place and restrained against outward movement by means of the cover or counter l2 which embodies a top surface l4 and a downwardly extending flange H5. The dimensions of the counter and flange are" such that they cover and fit snugly about the upper portions of the vertically arranged panels when they are arranged in their supporting positions as shown in Fig. 1. In thisway the flange l6 serves to prevent panels 2 and 8 from swinging outward-. ly andprevent the front panels 4 and 6 from buckling or swinging outwardly at the center.

The construction preferably also is provided with means for preventing the panels from swinging inward so that they will be held firmly in place in their open or erected positions so as to provide a sturdy construction. The means illustrated and preferred for preventing inward movement of the panels comprises a shelf l8 having projections or studs 20 on the ends thereof arranged to pass through openings 22 in the end panels 2 and8. The studs 2! as shown are provided with heads 24 of smaller diameter than the holes22 in the side panelsso that the heads of the studs may be passed through the holes 22 and forceddownward tio engage the. outer surface of the panels, thereby locking the shelf and panels in place.

With this construction the vertical panels and the counter as well as the shelf l8 cooperate .to insure a sturdy and firm construction which is simple to manufacture and assemble and yet pro.-

3 vides a rigid and strong top counter and lower shelf.

The panels may be formed of wood, metal or any other material, and the central portions 26 of the panels may be formed of light weight material such as plywood, fiberboard, metal, or the like, whereas the outer frame 28 of each panel may be of heavier and more rigid material. Furthermore, by providing the central portion 26 of the panel so that it is sunk or depressed with respect to the outer frame members 28, the heads 24 of the studs 2% will lie within the plane of the outer face of the end panels and will not protrude so as to be objectionable. Further, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the shelf 18 may be provided with reinforcing bars or supporting members 30 by which the studs 28 are carried so that the shelf itself may be formed of light weight material.

In assembling the elements to erect the bar or counter, the panels 2, d, 6 and 8 are first opened up and arranged substantially as shown in Fig. l. The shelf is then placed in position by inserting the studs 2% carried by the shelf through the openings 22 in the end panel 2. The end panel 8 is then swung outward far enough to permit the insertion of the studs 29, on the opposite end of the shelf, through the openings 22 in the side panel 8. The side panel 8 is then moved back against the adjacent end of the shelf, and the shelf is pushed downward to be sure that the heads 2 on the studs engage the outer face of the panel to lock the side panels against outward movement. Thereafter the top or counter portion of the bar is fitted down over the upper frame portions of the panels with the flange l6 of the counter extending about the upper frame members of the panels. The bar or counter is then firmly and sturclily erected so that it can be used and will support a considerable weight and will not yield appreciably even though a person may lean against the counter.

As illustrated in Fig. 4 the front member 32 of the flange E6 on the counter is provided on its inner face with a longitudinally extending groove 34 and the flange is deep enough to receive and hold the panels when they are folded together in overlapping relation or into a collapsed M- shaped form. At the same time the edge 36 of the shelf 13 is formed to fit into the longitudinal groove 34 and may be locked in place over the folded side panels by means of the lug 38 pivotally mounted on the rear member 49 of the flange I6. The reinforcing bars 30 on the shelf l8 are arranged so as to face outward when the parts are disassembled and arranged in folded relation so that the studs 2d are protected by the end portion 42 of the flange it. In this way, even when in collapsed relation, the studs are prevented from projecting so as to cause injury or difficulty in handling or storing the construction.

In disassembling and packing the bar or stand shown in Fig. 1 in order that it may be stored or shipped readily the counter 12 is first raised from the vertical panels and inverted so that the flange It projects upwardly. Thereafter the shelf !8 is lifted slightly to permit the heads 24 on the studs 29 to disengage the side panels 2 and 8 and be withdrawn from the holes 22 by swinging the panels outward. Thereafter the panels are folded or disassembled and arranged one upon another. When constructed as illustrated in Fig. 1 so that the panels are connected together by the hinges Ill to constitute a single unit, they are folded into an M-shape form.

When folded or arranged in collapsed position the panels are fitted into the recess formed by the upwardly facing flange IE on the inverted counter l2 and will lie below the edges of the flange and below the longitudinally extending groove 34 on the inner face of the front member 32 of the flange. The shelf I8 is then inverted and the edge 36 thereof is inserted into the longitudinal groove 34. The shelf is then pressed down to hold the panels firmly in place and the retaining lug 38 on the rear flange member 46 is swung inward over the opposite edge of the shelf so as to hold the elements together. The flange l6 on the counter and the shelf I8 thus cooperate with the vertical panels 2, 4, 6 and 8 when in either the erected or collapsed positions to hold the parts firmly in place so that there is no rattling or looseness which might permit the parts to become displaced or result in a flimsy construction.

When so collapsed and packed, the whole assembly forms a compact unit which may be readily stored or transported and will occupy only a very limited space. In a typical instance the space occupied by the construction shown in Fig. 1 will be no greater than about half that occupied by a conventional folded card table.

While I have shown and described my invention as embodying a front made up of two panels, it will be apparent that both the front and the sides of the device may embody any desired number of panels. It will also be evident that rear panels may be added to the construction to provide a closed cabinet with movable doors and yet permit the structure to be packed away in a small place. Furthermore, it is not always essential that the shelf be employed and it will be apparent that the panels themselves may be fitted together or otherwise arranged without usin hinges for connecting them together. These and other modifications and changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of elements employed in devices embodying my invention. In View thereof it should be understood that the particular embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing and described above is intended to be illustrative only, and is not intended to limit the scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A collapsible structure comprising a plurality of rectangular panels having means thereon for holding the panels together and in a vertical position, a top for said structure having a flange thereon formed to fit about the exterior of the panels and serving to prevent the panels from being displaced outwardly from said vertical position, a shelf located on the interior of said panels and engaging the same to prevent the panels from being displaced inwardly from said vertical position, said top, panels and shelf being separable so as to collapse the structure and said panels and shelf each having smaller exterior dimensions than said flange and being movable to superimposed positions in which they will fit within the flange on the top when the structure is collapsed, said flange having a groove on the inner face thereof fo receiving said shelf to hold it in place over the panels when the panels are fitted into the flange on collapsing the structure.

2. A collapsible structure comprising a plurality of rectangular panels having means thereon for holding the panels together and in a vertical position, a top for said structurehaving a flange thereon formed to fit about the exterior or the panels and serving to prevent the panels from being displaced outwardly from said position, a shelf located on the interior of said panels and engaging the same to prevent the anelsfrom being displaced inwardly from said vertical position, said top, panels and shelf beingseparable so as to collapse the structure and said panels and shelf each having smaller exterior dimensions than said flange and being movable to superimposed positions in which they will fit within the flange on the top when the structure is collapsed, said shelf having studs projecting from the ends thereof and the panels which form the ends of the structure when erected having openings therein for receiving said studs to hold the shelf in predetermined position with respect thereto.

3. A collapsible structure comprising a plural-:

ity of rectangular panels having means thereon for holding the panels together and in a vertical position, a top for said structure having a flange thereon formed to fit about the exterior of the panels and serving to prevent the'panels from being displaced outwardly from said position, a shelf located on the interior of said panels and engaging the same .to prevent the panels from being displaced inwardly from said vertical position, said top, panels and shelf being separable so as to collapse the structure and said panels and shelf each having smaller exterior dimensions than said flange and being movable to superimposed positions in which they will fit within the flange on the top when the structure is collapsed, said shelf having headed studs projecting' from the ends thereof and. the panels which form the ends of the structure having openings therein through which the heads of said studs may be passed into position to en age the outer face of the panels and prevent outward displacement thereof from said vertical JOHN A. ENGLISH. 

